Don't Dismiss Elon Musk's Submarine Car Idea Just Yet

When Elon Musk confirmed this week that he bought James Bond's iconic submarine car to make a real, working version, the CEO of Tesla Motors added to his list of sci-fi inspired ideas that he alone seems to be able to execute.

The movie prop car for 1977's "The Spy Who Loved Me" was auctioned off last month for $967,120 to an anonymous bidder. On Thursday, car site Jalopnik reported that Musk was the mystery buyer, who later revealed that he wants to make the car really transform into a submarine.

Here's more about the native South African's hunt to make James Bond's adventures come to life and other high-flying investments.

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Submarine car

Musk, 42, is a self-professed fan of James Bond, and has a vivid memory of the iconic scene in "The Spy Who Loved Me," featuring actor Roger Moore as 007.

"It was amazing as a little kid in South Africa to watch James Bond in 'The Spy Who Loved Me' drive his Lotus Esprit off a pier, press a button and have it transform into a submarine underwater," Musk said in a statement. "I was disappointed to learn that it can't actually transform. What I'm going to do is upgrade it with a Tesla electric powertrain and try to make it transform for real."

Yes, Tesla Motors, based in Palo Alto, Calif., is a investment that has paid off for Musk as its stock has more than tripled in the last six months. But what Musk hopes to do next in automated driving will be a feat to watch.

The company, founded in 2003, experienced a publicity hiccup when a video of a $70,000 Model S on fire went viral. But the company said the car, which it calls the world's first premium electric sedan, caught on fire due to damage to the battery and its system responded as expected.

Over the summer, Musk released plans for the Hyperloop, a high-speed transit system linking Los Angeles and San Francisco. He called it "a cross between a Concord, a rail gun and an air hockey table" and described the concept with futuristic images and a 57-page design plan.

Musk and his company, Space Exploration Technologies Corp., or SpaceX, is behind the first privately financed space flight. Musk founded SpaceX with money he made from co-founding payments tech firm PayPal.

In 2012, the SpaceX Dragon became the first commercial spacecraft to deliver cargo to the International Space Station and return safely to earth. Designed to carry humans, the first manned test flight is expected to take place in two to three years, according to SpaceX.

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SolarCity

Founded in 2006, SolarCity is one of the nation's largest installers of home solar panels. Musk is chairman of the San Mateo-based company. Musk invested about $10 million in seed money to make installing solar panels efficient and more affordable.